Eternus
by silverscribbles
Summary: My name is Taniyama Mai. My cousin is one of the most powerful leaders of the world. I’m just the heiress to her fortunes, yet my husband doesn’t remember my name. I don’t blame him, though. After all, I am dying.
1. Highlighted Beginning

**Chapter 1 Highlighted Beginning**

Their world wasn't bad, if one really thought of it.

Taniyama Mai existed in a world where magic was an average means of achievement. Social structures were strict, but if one had the power, they could do literally anything. Women were generally treated inferior to men, passed on as the belongings of fathers to husbands. Most divisions were overseen by nobility, which was overseen by the King, who was overseen by the Five.

The Five.

Mai supposed that she should have felt fortunate, having had been born into one of the five most influential psychic families in the world, and the Caecilius Clan at that, which was the only organisation that was led by women instead of men. The Five was the title dubbed to the five oldest and most powerful families in the world: The Caecilius Clan, the House of Alexandria, the Miharu Family, the Ramirez Family, and the Wycombe Family.

These five families practically ruled over magical practices in their realm; people borne from this family had more magic than everyone else, more abilities than everyone else, and even more political influence.

The leader of one of them was sitting right in front of her at the moment.

Crystal green eyes blinked back at Mai when she turned over and Mai knew that her cousin had something to say. The warm light of the sun drenched into her companion's Oriental skin and her beautifully structured face screamed arrogance from all angles. As she moved, light glossed from her incredibly dark hair that at first, seemed black, but in the light, seemed to carry every colour of the rainbow. They might have been in the slums of Kentworth – which was ruled by the Underground – but she managed to stand out like an angel in hell.

But then Domjouji Ayami would look beautiful no matter where she was.

From where Mai stood, she watched her amazing cousin, Imperial First Lady of the Caecilius Clan, Duchess of Lamia, and Countess of Carveli.

Next to her, Mai felt like the ugly duckling beside the swan.

And a Golden Swan at that.

"This is so boring," Ayami said finally. She looked up towards the perfect sky and squinted as the rays attacked her green eyes. They were seated at a balcony in one of this slum's finest restaurant – which wasn't saying much, in Mai's opinion – as they overlooked the neighbourhood beneath them. Down there, Mai watched one of the little boys carefully pick-pocketed an unsuspecting passerby.

Mai's dull-shoulder length brown hair bobbled blew slightly with the wind and she couldn't be bothered fixing it up. Ayami half-rolled her eyes and she leant over to straighten Mai's hair. The truth was, Mai wasn't sure why she'd been chosen as a companion for the First Lady. She had no psychic abilities to speak of, she wasn't overly intelligent, nor was she a spy for the Elders. Ayami had laughingly joked once that Mai was the only person she would never kill, so Mai suspected that might have been it. With the antics Ayami played up, it was a wonder how she'd made it to the stone age of seventeen.

Coming here was the perfect example. Both of them were dressed rather grandly for this area –yet casually for them – and apparently, Ayami had come here because she was expecting someone. Not only were they in the slums of Kentworth, they were also in the country of Ryome, which was the grounds overseen and made home by members of the House of Alexandria

And had Mai mentioned that the Caecilius clan was currently at war with the House of Alexandria?

"We shouldn't be here, you know," Mai said quietly. "We're in Ryome, Ayami," Mai said, careful not to let the winds carry her voice. Ayami had probably shielded them already, but it was better to be careful. "This country is owned by the House of Alexandria; we're at war with them, remember? And you didn't bring any further protection. Perhaps we should head back."

Ayami smiled and continued straightening up Mai's collar. She folded it over delicately, but Mai could feel the slight magic the girl was spilling into her clothing.

"I wasn't the one that caused that huge racket at the inn last night, remember?"

Mai's face flamed when she remembered back to what she'd done.

Last night, she had tried to save a boy who'd been obviously enslaved by two noblewomen of their age. When Mai had first seen him, they'd been beating him and she'd interfered to stop them. The girls had sneered at her and beaten the boy even harder. That night, Mai had snuck into his room to try and see how he was and the memory of that would probably linger in her mind for a very long time.

"It's a good thing that I had Octavia trail you then, or you'd probably dead by now. Why did you go after him, anyway? You know this country and you know this division. You're lucky you got out on time."

"I just feel bad, for him, you know?" Mai murmured. "I was going to try again tonight," Mai added, almost grimacing at her words. To think that she'd just being going on about Ayami. It wasn't as though Mai could just leave the slave there though; the Gods only knew what kind of abuse he was getting now.

"They way you almost got him out before?" Ayami asked, her eyes narrowed slightly in amusement. She gave the collar a final pat and sat back against her chair. Mai rolled her eyes at her cousin.

"Not like that," Mai said, slightly insulted by Ayami's reaction. But how could Ayami not want to help the boy? He was an innocent, and he certainly did not deserve to be abused in the manner that these people used him in.

"How do you know he's even in trouble?" Ayami asked, stretching comfortably across the settee in a most regal manner.

Mai frowned, remembering back to his handsome face. Besides the fact that she'd seen him beaten, his navy blue eyes had been pensive, almost as though he'd shut himself completely away from the world. He was incredibly handsome – the _most _handsome Mai had ever seen, yet he seemed so sad.

"I could see it in his eyes," Mai answered quietly. The navy blue globes had been emotionless, but hidden even further behind that was bleak emptiness that had immediately called to her pity. Mai had been like that once, before Ayami had come along. This boy, whoever he was, didn't choose his path. No one deserved to live like that, and Mai would help him no matter what.

"You know, if you're so keen on getting this boy out, why don't you ask me?" Ayami asked. "I am the First Lady of the Caecilius Clan for good reason."

Mai's eyes brightened at the thought of Ayami participating. "You'd help him?" she asked.

Ayami shrugged. "You seem so incredibly adamant in protecting the boy, so I see no reason not to. Besides, the Jambolee family are full of idiotic, misogynistic morons that think that they're above all others just because they happen to be in contact with the Alexandrians. I'd like to teach them a lesson, really, just to pull them down a few notches."

Mai frowned. Clearly, Ayami was talking about the girl's that owned the slave boy. "You know who they are?"

"I know a lot of things."

_Mai's_ confidence slipt a few notches too when Ayami told her what she intended. Oh, boy. In her three years of reigning, Ayami had managed to diminish more alliances than any other leader of the Five had in their entire lifetimes.

And that wasn't counting the number of adversaries she'd accumulated along the way.

"Oh, don't worry. I won't do anything rash."

Mai had definitely heard that one before.

* * *

"My name is Domjouji Ayami," Ayami greeted. She held her hand out to the owner of the division.

Jambolee's eyes frowned at her. "A leader of the Five?" he questioned suspiciously.

Ayami's eyes narrowed, though Mai wasn't sure why she cared so much. A lot of people doubted her because of her age. Mai still couldn't believe that that'd gotten in here.

Ayami, through mystical ways, had managed to locate the owners of the slave. Her cousin had not been joking when she said that she 'knew a lot'. Apparently, the two girls that Mai had come across in the inn had been the daughter of Jambolee family, rulers of the Red District. Approximately three days after Ayami had promised to help she had managed to come directly into the household that owned the slave. Apparently, the owner of the house had been having problems with a demonic presence and somehow, Ayami had managed to contact the mediator in the case and had booked a passage as the exorcists. Mai didn't need to ask why a demon would oh-so coincidentally bother the Jambolees now. It was quite obvious, in Mai's opinion, where the demon had come from.

When one felt that they had a supernatural problem, they spoke to a mediator, who would normally dissect the main essence of the presence. After that, the mediator would contact the exorcist most suitable for the case who would in turn deal with the presence.

For a price, of course.

And right now, Ayami was demanding it.

"I want," Ayami's fingers swirled round and round the room she moved her body, her eyes swimming around the room.

"I want him," Ayami concluded, pointing right at the boy that Mai had seen yesterday. He looked up at them, his face slightly impassive now, and Mai almost missed the quick glance he sent her way.

"You can't have him!" the daughter snarled.

"Well then you can keep your demon for a very long time then."

The mediator laughed uneasily. He'd thought that he'd struck gold when Ayami had agreed to do the exorcism. Right now, he probably regretted letting her do it. "Now, now, Ayami-hime, there's no need to be so hasty. I'm sure we can compromise in some way."

"Of course we can. I can be a reasonable person." Mai resisted the urge to cough and looked back at her cousin. "Now, do I get what I want, or do you get to keep the demon for the rest of your lives?"

"You're not the only exorcist in the world!" the other daughter snarled.

"Naturally, but I am one of the five most powerful in the World. If I say I want to keep this demon here, do you think anyone could stop me?"

Oh, God. _This _was not compromising. Although Mai didn't mind Ayami threatening people like this, her cousin did seem to forget where they were. On enemy grounds.

Where they were meant to keep a low profile.

Jambolee stared right into Ayami's eyes. Her perfect, angelic face was a complete contrast to Jambolee's aged and scared skin. He looked incredibly ghastly when he stared over at her and Mai turned to look from Jambolee to Ayami.

"You're threatening me?" he growled.

Ayami leant even further in towards the man, completely without fear. "You could put it like that," she purred.

Jambolee leant back. He obviously knew that Ayami couldn't be intimidated. She wasn't known as the Peerless without reason. If he offended her, it was in her ability to destroy the entire division and make sure that the Jambolees were completely eliminated from history. Mai would know: she'd seen it happen.

"Fine," Jambolee said finally.

Mai's heart leaped. The girls were horrified.

"How do we know she didn't put the demon there herself?" one of the girl's cried.

"Be careful who you accuse," Ayami said sharply, turning now towards the girls. "I am a Leader of one of the Five. I have more than enough power to make sure that you are completely swept from this planet. And it wouldn't be done in a pretty fashion either."

"Shut up, girl!" Jambolee snapped at his own daughter. He then turned to look back at Ayami. "We'll give you the boy," he said, "but no silly business, Domjouji. And you have to get rid of the demon now."

Mai looked at Ayami. That was definitely a fair trade. Her cousin, however, didn't seem appeased. Instead, she watched Jambolee hand her the small glass of wine to seal their deal and took it, her face entirely unimpressed.

Ayami looked at the man in front of her and for a moment, Mai could even see how she was dissecting his thoughts. When the man raised the drink towards Ayami, a slight, amused smile curved her lips and the brightness of her eyes diminished, leaving only the cool, cold expression of a powerful ruler.

"You want to use me as leverage against the Alexandrians."

Mai's eyes widened.

Ayami pointedly dropped the cup onto the floor, the same, calculating smile not leaving her face. Not even once.

"You're going to need a lot more than poison to subdue me, Jambolee. What you gave me in the drink would only have served to annoy me."

Her words were spoken and immediately, they were surrounded. Men ran out from almost all angles of the house and effectively surrounded them as Jambolee's daughters were moved inside, leaving only the slave, Mai, Ayami, and Jambolee in the centre of the room. Mai's eyes scanned the area and she realised that Jambolee must have had this all planned out already. Why else would he have been so accommodating earlier? And they'd obviously brought the slave boy here because they knew that he was the perfect bait for Ayami, since Mai had wanted to save him.

They'd walked right into a trap.

"We were trying to be discreet, Ayami-hime. The House of Alexandria wants you there in one piece, though I have no idea why they would. Personally, if it had been up to me, I'd have reached over and tugged your head off that neck a long time ago."

Ayami laughed, completely unfazed. "You underestimate me," she drawled. "If we were to fight, what makes you think I'd lose?"

Now, Jambolee snorted. "You're a female," he grunted.

"Try me," the girl said.

And then everything exploded.

* * *

Mai gasped as she landed on the ground, somehow managing to drag a sedated slave along with her. Ayami had cast a spell around all three of them and somehow managed to teleport all of them out of the house just before everything went off. They'd landed in a forest close to the district when the slave – Mai was getting rather sick of calling him that – had suddenly began to panic. Naturally, Ayami, being the reasonable person that she was, immediately cast a spell of sleep over him before setting herself calmly onto the ground.

Ayami brushed the invisible dust off her clothing. "Well, good thing we got out of that one alright," she said brightly.

"Alright?!" Mai screeched. She had the boy's arm set over one of her shoulders and her entire body was sagging towards the ground. "Ayami, you blew up half a division."

Ayami shrugged delicately. "It was wreaked in sin anyway," she replied, winking. "Take it as my divine obligation, seeing as I am sometimes revered to as a Goddess."

Mai shook her head. She didn't know why the Elders believed that Ayami would become less destructive if they let her see the big world. In Mai's opinion, she just got worse and worse.

Mai took a breath and tried again. "That was not the way to do things—"

"No one told you to come with me," Ayami reminded her. And if Mai hadn't come to save this boy, Ayami probably wouldn't have wrecked havoc anyway.

Had it been anyone else that nagged at her cousin, Mai knew that Ayami wouldn't have been so accommodating about it. But Ayami didn't get angry at Mai. She never got angry at Mai, and Mai had no idea why. Instead, her cousin just seemed amused by Mai's worries.

Mai didn't find it amusing at all.

"Come on," Ayami said. She gestured towards the boy that half swung over Mai's shoulder and Mai felt his weight lifted from her almost immediately. Mai didn't have to look down to know that there were slight glows of will-o'-the-wisps now supporting the boy. "Let's do something about him."

Mai nodded quickly, quickly remembering back to the person they'd just saved. She tilted her head over slightly and saw that he was slowly regaining consciousness.

Ayami's eyes widened.

"Let go of him, Mai!"

Her cousin reached for her and Mai looked towards Ayami. There was evident fear in her cousin's face though Mai had no idea why.

And then, for the second time that night, everything went white.

* * *

**26 January, 2009**: Happy Chinese New Year, guys! Okay, so I know I'm pretty slow at the moment with Vesta's Bonds, but this current case is pretty uninspiring. LOL. Anyway, Eternus is kind of the redux for Eternity, which is the sequel to Vesta's Bonds. A warning: this story is not for the light hearted. It may/will contain prostitution, adult themes, torture, etc. etc. If you're against that stuff then I wouldn't recommend you reading this story. These are more of the preview chapters; I will still be focusing on Vesta's Bonds more. Tell me what you think ;)


	2. And who are you?

**Chapter 2 And who are you?**

Mai discreetly closed the door behind her before quietly ushering the boy they'd saved into the room. He followed – rather languidly, might she add – and Mai resisted the urge to reach over and strangle him.

Quickly, they walked towards the bed, careful not to knock anything over.

Lying there, on the bed, was the First Lady of the Caecilius Clan.

Mai sighed. Her cousin had been unconscious for almost three days now, and Mai herself had only woken up earlier this morning. Mai wasn't even sure how it had happened. All she really remembered was getting out of the Jambolee House after having rescued the boy, and then having another explosion go off. When she'd woken up again, the boy that they'd rescued had been sitting beside her, patiently waiting for her to regain consciousness. Apparently, they'd been saved by some people passing by, who had taken them to this inn. Mai had had the honour of meeting their rescuer and she hoped with all her heart that she would never have to see this person ever again.

His name had been Mimisaki Raidon, and although he'd smiled in a friendly manner, Mai couldn't help but be suspicious of his actions. He'd been incredibly welcoming, and he was amazingly handsome too, much like the person next to her, but Mai just didn't trust him.

The slave boy that they'd saved frowned at Ayami's unconscious form "Your cousin appears to be half-dead. Are you sure we don't need a doctor for her?"

Mai shook her head no. "Ayami's familiars are probably restoring her ki as we speak," Mai said. "She's only inactive at the moment because the demons are continuously passing in and out of her body and they don't want to startle her. Trust me, she'll be awake soon."

He nodded once, and Mai couldn't help but watch him from where he stood. He was remarkably good-looking; she'd definitely give him that. At the moment, he dressed in a casual black suit that brought out even more of his pale complexion. Mai had originally thought that his eyes were navy, but in the brighter light, she realised that they'd seemed more grey or lavender even. His face was structured perfectly to convey the epitome of a perfect male gentlemen and the patrician arc of his nose told Mai just how stubborn this person could possibly be. He probably was around her or Ayami's age – about 17 – yet he held himself like someone who knew the world far better than anyone else. He definitely hadn't been a slave all his life, if one could take into consideration his soft skin and remarkable indifference. In fact, unless Mai was terribly mistaken, this boy had to have been nobility before that even.

So what had pushed a person like this into slavery?

"Could you stop staring at me like that?" he asked calmly. "If I had been anyone else, it might've made me feel subconscious."

Mai's cheeks flushed when she realised that she'd been caught staring. Hastily, she moved towards the wall and straightened up Ayami's clothing that had been hung there. Mimisaki Raidon had been kind enough to provide them with new clothing, and he'd had people wash their other clothing too.

"And stop weighing my value," he added.

His tone of voice eliminated her embarrassment almost immediately. In the middle of straightening up Ayami's clothing, Mai turned back to him. "There's no need to peg that attitude with me," Mai said dryly. "I didn't do anything to you. All I did was try to get you out of that place."

The boy looked to her. "And I suppose you think I should thank you," he drawled. "I don't have any money."

Now she was offended. Did he think that she'd only tried to help him for his thanks?

"I'm not asking for your money; I have enough of my own already." Which was true, seeing as Ayami did give her a generous allowance, and her parents had left her a small inheritance to live off. "And if you do need money, I have more than enough to give to you to. You don't need to work anymore if you don't want to."

"Well, let me thank you in another way then," he said.

Mai jumped when she realised that he was now directly beside her. She turned over, just as his lips pressed against hers. Her eyes widened, horrified, as she felt him enter her mouth. One of his arms moved to snake around her waist and the other pressed beneath her chin, tilting her head further towards his. It was an incredibly gentle kiss, and the first that Mai had ever received in her life.

Slowly, he moved his mouth from hers and Mai realised that his arms had curved around her waist and his palms now rested on her back. His chest was held against her breasts and Mai could feel almost every curve of his body. She was being intimately embraced by this boy and her heart was beating so hard, he had to have had felt it too.

Mai was horrified. Not only because of what he'd done, but because of her reaction to it.

She'd enjoyed it. She couldn't believe that she had liked that.

Mai looked up at him and saw that he was watching her calmly. "I don't suppose you want to continue this in your own room?" he asked evenly.

Innocent though she might have been, even she could not misinterpret that statement.

Mai did the first thing that came to mind.

She slapped him.

"Don't touch me like that," Mai said. She might have been horrified of her own actions had he not added the comment at the end. "I don't know what extra services you provided for the Jambolee family, but I'll tell you now, I don't want you that way."

He stroked his jaw lightly and Mai could see the slight patch of red forming at his pale cheek.

"And how much are you going to charge people to see me then?" the boy asked.

She disentangled herself from him quickly. "What are you talking about?" she asked, oblivious as to what the boy was on about. Then, she sighed. It probably wasn't right for Mai to do that. He had been a slave before this; clearly, he expected to be used by her. And it wasn't as though she or Ayami had provided him any explanations. He probably wasn't really as bad as her mind was trying to tell her.

And it wasn't as though Mai could forget what she'd seen when she'd entered his room later that night. Both sisters had been there, and none of them had been dressed. Need she say more?

Mai sighed again. "Look, we didn't want anything when we got you out of there. I don't want you in the way the Jambolee sisters want you; you're free now. You don't have to stay with us. You can do whatever you want." Her words didn't seem to bring forth any reaction in him and Mai tugged his arm gently. She didn't want him to be uncomfortable around her now; hopefully, both of them could forget about the kiss soon. "You know, if you smile, you might be happier."

Her words seemed to set him a little more at ease and she felt him relax more in her presence. He turned to her, something new in his expression that she hadn't seen before. Arrogance.

"So I can be like you?"

The way he said it sounded a little degrading. "What's wrong with being like me?" Mai asked indignantly.

"Well, you're not very intelligent, for one thing, or you wouldn't have been trapped so easily by Mimisaki."

Mai felt a twitch of slight irritation as he pointed out her flaw. She knew that she wasn't overly smart, but Ayami had never called her unintelligent before. Naïve was normally what Ayami used to describe her.

"And you could have done better?" Mai asked.

"I would have at least managed to evade his invitation for tea tonight," he said.

Mai was more than tempted to reach over and strangle this boy. After he'd yielded to his initial wariness of her, he seemed to become cockier and cockier by the minute.

"Well aren't you lucky," Mai said through gritted teeth, "to have both brains and looks."

He looked at her then, his pale face emotionless. "You think I'm good looking?"

Mai blinked at his question. Didn't he know what he looked like in the mirror? "Well, it is pretty obvious," she pointed out.

He shrugged. "You don't have bad taste."

Her jaw dropped at his confidence. If this was the person he'd been before he'd been enslaved, Mai was glad she'd never met him. "A bit of a narcissist, aren't you?" Mai commented sceptically.

He ignored her comment. Instead, they sat there in comfortable silence as they watched Ayami. Mai knew that she didn't have to worry over Ayami's safety; no matter what happened, Ayami couldn't really die. If her familiars even thought that she was close to death, they would have ravaged everybody in sight already. Her cousin was the first person in the history of the Caecilius Clan to take control of all seven signature familiars of the leader and have them obey her every whim. Though she might not act it, she was, in fact, a true genius and one of the most powerful psychics in the world.

In fact, Mai had a feeling that the only reason why Ayami was lying on this bed was because she'd took on most of the impact of the second explosion. The boy they'd saved hadn't even mentioned anything about it so it was probably best for Mai to ask Ayami about it when she woke up.

"Is there something I can call you?" Mai asked finally, turning over to her companion. She was sick of referring him to 'the slave' or 'the boy they'd saved'. Surely he had a name, right?

She could sense his hesitation, however, even though his expression never changed. Then, finally, he nodded once. "Call me Naru."

Mai nodded. Naru. At least she had something to call him now. Then, her eyes narrowed and she realised that she was probably being teased. "Naru. It's not short for narcissist, is it?" she asked suspiciously.

He shrugged, but Mai saw the slight tug of his lips. So she was amusing him now. Mai didn't know if she should be happy that he showed some expression or offended that he was treating her this way.

A slight groan enacted from Ayami's lips and Mai snapped her eyes back towards the bed immediately. She brightened when Ayami slowly opened her eyes and watched her cousin flinch.

"Oh, thank god," Mai breathed.

"Oh, god; I'm never trying that one again."

Ayami gasped, now trying to sit up. Mai immediately ran to her side and carefully set various pillows behind her cousin's back. Ayami winced when Mai touched her briefly and Mai immediately apologised.

"It's okay; I'm fine," Ayami said. Her eyes narrowed when she saw Naru though, and Mai could tell that her cousin was entirely unimpressed. "You," she said, pointing now at their newest companion. "Why didn't you warn us that you had kikou?"

Kikou? The raw energy substance? _That _was what had knocked them out like that? Even in their world, it was rare for even blue-blooded psychics to possess that much raw energy. Who was this boy?

Mai's eyes turned back to Naru, who shrugged as though it didn't really matter. "My powers had been locked, and you never asked," he replied coolly.

This person was behaving more and more like a narcissist by the moment. Mai mentally frowned at him but Ayami did nod understandingly. "Well, it's not as though I can argue with that," she said, seemingly accepting his answer. "You're a bit perkier, aren't you, when the drugs aren't keeping you drowsy?"

Mai blinked. He'd been drugged when he was with the Jambolees? Mai hadn't even realised. Ayami had to have spent less time with Naru yet she had known straight away.

Then, suddenly, Ayami's expression completely vanished, leaving only a cold mask of indifference. Her gaze passed behind Mai and even Naru turned calmly. Mai frowned as she turned around. What were they staring at?

"I see that Ayami has awoken at last."

Mimisaki Raidon.

When had he even entered the room? Mai watched as the nobleman crossed half the room, stopping only a few meters away from Ayami's bed. Mai stood up, by tradition, and walked over to greet him politely. Naru, strangely enough, decided to walk with her, though Ayami made no move to get out of bed.

Mimisaki Raidon, as Mai had remembered, had a face of an ethereal angel. He wasn't pale like Naru; instead, he was skin was a shade of gold and he was reasonably built: these facts alone told Mai that this nobleman dedicated a fair bit of time to physical sports. His violet eyes gazed at Ayami, twinkling with amusement that didn't quite match the languid ease of his smile. His clothing was made of the finest silks and Mai could tell that he was prosperous, even without the dozen men trailing behind him and the 24carot necklace adorned on his neck. He was around their age, but like Ayami, his every posture screamed rank and nobility.

This man, Mai concluded, was probably of high demand on the marriage market.

So what was he doing here in the middle of the Season?

"I'm not quite dead just yet," Ayami drawled. "I don't think that my slight illness would need to warrant so many presences."

"Just call me caring," Mimisaki Raidon replied smoothly. "My name is Mimisaki Raidon. Pleased to be of your acquaintance."

Ayami watched him with caution and the man turned over to Mai suddenly.

"I have had my people concoct a small herbal remedy for your cousin, my lady, so that you might give it to her when she wakes up. I'll have my people send it over to you later on."

Medicine? As the First Lady, Ayami wasn't meant to taste anything on enemy grounds that was not provided by her own people. Although she'd failed to uphold that tradition already, Mai didn't feel safe about letting Mimisaki Raidon be the provider.

"There's no need, Mimisaki-san—"

"Just accept, Mai," Ayami smiled. "Someone of his pedigree wouldn't try to harm such nameless ones like ourselves."

Mai stopped and frowned. "Pedigree?" she repeated.

Ayami didn't seem surprised that Mai didn't know who he was. "This, my dear cousin," she began, "is the heir to the throne of Ryome."

Mai's eyes widened to the size of coins and her gaze snapped from Ayami to Mimisaki Raidon immediately. The Prince smiled at Ayami, his expression almost unreadable before he gallantly bowed from waist down.

"It's nice to know that you, Ayami, are so informing of your politics," he said. His eyes drew slightly, his face now pertaining curiosity as Ayami calmly moved the covers off her body. "Lady Mai seemed to be worried that you wouldn't wake up."

"That's doubtful, but clearly I managed." Her tone was light, but Mai couldn't quite help but notice the way Ayami sauntered over to them, now making an effort to stand between Mai and the Prince. She was about half a head taller than Mai so Ayami's eyes just about reached the Prince's nose. Her gaze snapped languidly towards his face.

Her movements seemed to have amused the Prince, because his smile deepened. "And what, may I ask, is a beautiful girl such as you doing alone in a place like Kentworth? Does your pater familias know that you are here?"

The pater familias was the ruling male of every family. Every women in the country was subjected to the power of their pater familias, except for women of the Caecilius Clan, which was the only group in history that was instead, ruled by a female, and Ayami at that. Any female borne from the Caecilius Clan was exempt from the power of a male and was legally entitled to rights of their own, independent from men.

Of course the Prince didn't know that though, or he wouldn't have asked about Ayami. Well, at least, he _hopefully _didn't know that.

"I'm not quite alone," Ayami replied evenly. "I was searching for my friend and look at that, I found him." She gestured towards Naru.

The Prince's eyes darted to the other boy. He looked from Naru to Ayami and nodded slightly towards the other boy.

"He was the first of your company to wake up, but I don't believe I've caught his name yet. Would you mind telling me what it is?"

"Shibuya Kazuya," Ayami replied without hesitation and Mai knew that her cousin had made it up right on the spot. "Now if you don't mind, your highness, I have just woken up. I still do feel a little drowsy, and would like to rest once again."

The prince must have noticed Ayami's lack of curtsy, bow or kneel, yet he didn't seem worried over formalities at all. Instead, he merely smiled, and with a single nod, excused them from his presence. His people shuffled out before them and one of the men cast Naru a rather dirty look.

Ayami nodded politely in return before heading back to her bed.

"Ayami," the Prince called, just as he stood by her door. Her cousin turned back. "If you're feeling better tonight, I hope that you wouldn't mind joining us for dinner. Lady Mai and Shibuya-san have already agreed to join us."

He used European formalities for Mai, yet employed Oriental honorific terms for Naru. He hadn't even bothered calling Ayami anything; he just used her first name, which was incredibly rude. Did the cross-cultural terms register to the prince, or was it an unconscious mistake?

Her cousin's face was almost expressionless. "I'd be delighted, your highness," she replied.

* * *

"Do you know him?" Mai asked, as soon as Naru left the room. Mimisaki-san had left them almost an hour ago and Naru had just ventured out so that they could dress and ready themselves for tonight's dinner. Mimisaki-san had sent over outfits for them to wear to tonight's event. Mai didn't know how formal he'd expected the event to be, but judging from the dresses he'd provided, it was most likely meant to be a regal event. That fact set Mai on edge a little bit. She couldn't forget that they weren't meant to be in Ryome, after all, and so she'd been on edge for the entire evening.

Ayami was stunning. Even in the dress of another culture, she managed the ethereal beauty that only a handful could ever achieve. Her dress was a sleeveless black dress that pressed her like a second skin until mid-thigh. After that, the dressed blossomed into an array of skirts that ended at her feet. Dozens of sequential patterns and jewels had been sewn onto the dress and a choker, set on her neck, set an embroidered piece all the way down to her waist. She'd set a shawl to modestly concealed her shoulders, but somehow, it didn't diminish her looks at all.

Ayami looked up from buttoning the tiny buttons on Mai's dress. It was rather simple, with only a jewelled arc beneath her breast as an accessory and a simple shawl set over her shoulders. The white dress for Mai showed more skin than she would have liked, but she knew better than to complain about the hospitality of their host. The gown was, after all, still modest in comparison the modern fashion of Ryome.

"If you mean Mimisaki, then no, I do not know him. If you mean the person you call Naru, then yes, I think I have seen him somewhere before. I just don't quite remember where."

Mai frowned. Because Ayami wasn't eighteen yet, she wasn't expected to hold the responsibilities of the First Lady. As such, there weren't many members of nobility that knew her by face. "Well, he was a slave. Are you sure you hadn't owned him in the past?"

"I assure you, I haven't ever called an _arikinosesheia_ to my house," Ayami replied dryly. She gestured for Mai to turn around so that she could do up the buttons on Mai's back. Mai obeyed.

Mai frowned, not too familiar with the term that her cousin had named. "What's that?" Mai asked.

Ayami almost rolled her eyes. "_arikino_ is pleasure and _shesheia _is slave. You tell me what a pleasure slave is."

Mai's cheeks flushed as she realised the implication. Now she knew what he'd meant when he asked her how much she was going to charge other people to see him. And she definitely knew what he'd expected to do after he'd kissed her like that.

"Come on," Ayami said, now standing. "We need to go to that retched dinner with Mimisaki. I am so glad to be in a royal presence. If I'm blessed enough by it, who knows: I might not ever have to see him again."

"You're not fully well yet," Mai reminded her. "It wouldn't do well for the entire country to be after us while you weren't at full strength." It had been exceedingly arrogant of her to venture onto these grounds in the first place.

Ayami heaved an exaggerated sigh. "Well, I cannot argue with that, unfortunately."

They exited the room only to see Naru waiting outside for them. Strangely enough, the Prince was there too, and he was unescorted by his people. Mai cast a quick glance at Ayami and saw the slight inducement in her cousin's eyes. Undoubtedly, her cousin had been tempted to cast a spell on the Prince and then just leave right there and then.

He held his hand out to Ayami who begrudgingly accepted. Mai's worry lessened slightly. Was all this attention solely because the Prince was attracted to Ayami? Of course he would be attracted to her beauty; it was almost impossible not to be. Ayami didn't seem respondent to the attention but Mai knew that even if her cousin worried, it would be unlikely that she told Mai about it.

Naru moved to stand beside Mai as the other couple moved towards the room.

"Rather regal, aren't they?" Naru asked dryly.

Mai nodded slowly before turning to him. He'd dressed in a Victorian tuxedo, much like the Prince's, only Naru's was white and the prince's was black. Mai frowned, realising that she and Naru matched in the same way Ayami and Mimisaki-san had. Had he set that up intentionally?

"Let's go," Naru said. He didn't hold his hand out the way Mimisaki-san had, but then, it wasn't as though he was intentionally aggravating her either.

"Did he say anything to you while you were out here together?" Mai asked.

Naru's lips curved to form a cocky smile. "You're not worried about me, are you?" he asked coolly.

She rolled her eyes, not even bothering anymore. She ended up between him and Ayami at the round dinner table, facing Mimisaki-san. Another elder sat down beside Naru and Mai recognised him as the one that had sent Naru a dirty look before that.

"Ayami, Lady Mai, Shibuya-san: this is Sir Gervath Trentwood, our current prime minister," the prince introduced calmly.

Ayami's displeasure was evident, but she didn't do a thing to act on it. Mai wasn't sure why her cousin was in a particularly bad mood now, but she thanked the Gods that her cousin chose now to enact her tact. The last thing they needed was for the entire country to be after them.

The entrée was brought out and Mai looked over to Naru. He employed perfect table manners on per with the Prince and Ayami. Mai definitely hadn't been wrong when she'd thought that he was a nobleman before this.

As he turned his hand, however, Mai spotted the tattoo embedded on his hand. She winced, realising that it was the emblem for slavery.

She wasn't the only one that noticed. One of the guards behind Naru reached for him immediately, grabbing onto him.

"You're a runaway slave, aren't you?" the guard snarled.

Naru looked up at the man calmly. "And if I am?" he asked coolly.

"Let go of him!" Mai snapped, moving to push the man away. The guard moved to hold onto her too but he flinched as though he'd been burnt.

Ayami had stood up also, her eyes blazing with fury. "If you touch my cousin, death will be the least of your concerns," Ayami said.

"You'd let a slave dine with our prince?" the guard snarled, shooting an acid look at Ayami.

"Your prince chose to dine with us," Mai snapped angrily, "so you can either keep it that way or both of you can go away."

"How dare you—"

"Well said, Mai," Ayami said calmly. "I personally know that they weren't welcomed into our midst, so like you, I have no idea why we're actually here," the girl added. She turned back to the prince calmly, who was the only person that was seated still beside her. Even the prime minister had stood up. "If you don't want us around, I would be happy to leave at this moment."

The prime minister turned to Ayami angrily. "You should be honoured to have our prince—"

"Enough," Prince Raidon interjected calmly. The prime minister was silenced almost immediately and Prince Raidon turned over to Ayami. He opened his mouth to say something, only to realise that the entire room was shaking. The cutlery, the glass, the ornaments; everything was moving as though they were being hit by an earthquake. Her anger forgotten, Mai cast an apprehensive look around the room.

Oh, God. Ayami's familiars. Mai had forgotten that they sometimes reacted to her anger.

Ayami must have noticed that too, because with a slight glance around, everything stopped.

Even the guards.

"Oh, don't mind that," Ayami said serenely. "That's just hell calling."

Mai almost groaned.

And to think that they'd only served the first course of the meal too.

* * *

14.02.2009: Happy Valentines Day guys! Or, in my case (and probably that of several others), Single's Awareness Day! Hope you all have a great day. Wasn't Naru great in this chapter ;)

**Many thanks to**: **Starlight- Wild Koneko, ONIX-21, Ariana Taniyama, SimplyChristine, Moons-chan, emmartinez25, B.A Victoria, **and **miss koneko**.

Thanks for reading.


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